Cedar Grove is a

township A township is a form of human settlement or administrative subdivision. Its exact definition varies among countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, this tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Canad ...

in north central Essex County, in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 12,980, an increase of 569 (+4.6%) from the 2010 census count of 12,411, which in turn reflected an increase of 111 (+0.9%) from the 12,300 counted in the 2000 census. ''

New Jersey Monthly ''New Jersey Monthly'' is an American monthly magazine featuring issues of possible interest to residents of New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United St ...

'' magazine ranked Cedar Grove as its fourth-best place to live in Essex County and 17th-best place overall to live in its 2008 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey. What is now Cedar Grove was originally incorporated by an act of the

New Jersey Legislature The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and ...

as the Township of Verona on February 7, 1892, from portions of Caldwell Township. Portions of the township were taken to create Verona borough, based on the results of a referendum held on April 30, 1907. On April 9, 1908, the name was formally changed to Cedar Grove.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 126 re Cedar Grove, p. 132 re Verona. Accessed July 26, 2012. The township's name derives from the

Eastern Red Cedar ''Juniperus virginiana'', also known as eastern redcedar, red cedar, Virginian juniper, eastern juniper, red juniper, and other local names, is a species of juniper native to eastern North America from southeastern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico an ...

trees that once covered its valley and hillsides.

History

Cedar Grove was part of the Horseneck Tract, which was an area that consisted of what are now the municipalities of Caldwell, West Caldwell, North Caldwell, Fairfield,

Verona Verona ( ; ; or ) is a city on the Adige, River Adige in Veneto, Italy, with 255,131 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region, and is the largest city Comune, municipality in the region and in Northeast Italy, nor ...

, Cedar Grove, Essex Fells, Roseland, and portions of Livingston and West Orange. In 1702, settlers purchased the Horseneck Tract—so-called because of its irregular shape that suggested a horse's neck and head from the

Lenape The Lenape (, , ; ), also called the Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. The Lenape's historica ...

Native Americans for goods equal to $325. This purchase encompassed much of western Essex County, from the First Mountain to the

Passaic River The Passaic River ( or ) is a river, approximately long, in North Jersey, northern New Jersey. The river in its upper course flows in a highly circuitous route, meandering through the swamp lowlands between the ridge hills of rural and suburb ...

. Cedar Grove was originally a small farming community. In 1896, Essex County built the county mental institution in Cedar Grove known as Overbrook. In 1908, Cedar Grove was incorporated as a township. In the 1950s and 1960s, Cedar Grove became one of the destination suburbs in Essex County among those looking to escape urban living from Newark and

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. Cedar Grove was once home to Frank Dailey's Meadowbrook Ballroom, located on Route 23, which regularly hosted well-known bands and vocalists, including

Buddy Rich Bernard "Buddy" Rich (September 30, 1917 – April 2, 1987) was an American jazz drummer, songwriter, conductor, and bandleader. He is considered one of the most influential drummers of all time. Rich was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, ...

Glenn Miller Alton Glen "Glenn" Miller (March 1, 1904 – December 15, 1944) was an American big band conductor, arranger, composer, trombonist, and recording artist before and during World War II, when he was an officer in the United States Army Air Forces ...

Jimmy Jimmy may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Jimmy'' (2008 film), a 2008 Hindi thriller directed by Raj N. Sippy * ''Jimmy'' (1979 film), a 1979 Indian Malayalam film directed by Melattoor Ravi Varma * ''Jimmy'' (2013 f ...

and

Tommy Dorsey Thomas Francis Dorsey Jr. (November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956) was an American jazz trombone, trombonist, composer, conductor and bandleader of the big band era. He was known as the "Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" because of his smooth-to ...

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...

, and

Jo Stafford Jo Elizabeth Stafford (November 12, 1917July 16, 2008) was an American traditional pop singer, whose career spanned five decades from the late 1930s to the early 1980s. Admired for the purity of her voice, she originally underwent classical tr ...

. The ballroom, located on the old Pompton Turnpike, still stands, and is used by Sts. Kiril & Methodij Macedonian Orthodox Church. The first dinner theater was opened at the Meadowbrook in the fall of 1959 by Gary and Helga McHugh. It closed in 1973.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the township had a total area of 4.36 square miles (11.29 km²), including 4.24 square miles (10.97 km²) of land and 0.12 square miles (0.32 km²) of water (2.82%). The township is located between the First and Second

Watchung Mountains The Watchung Mountains are a group of three long low ridges of volcanic origin, between high, lying parallel to each other in northern New Jersey in the United States. The name is derived from the American Native Lenape name for them, Wach Unks ...

. The center of the township is in a valley that is about above sea level; however, many sections of Cedar Grove are well above , including the Park Ridge Estates, the abandoned Essex County Hospital Center, and the eastern, southeastern and southern sections of Cedar Grove. Cedar Grove's highest point is on hilltop, where elevations reach and above. Cedar Grove is located approximately west of

Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan, serving as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Building, the ...

and northwest of Newark. Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Lindsley and Overbrook. Cedar Grove is bordered by the municipalities of Montclair, North Caldwell and

in Essex County; and Little Falls in

Passaic County Passaic County ( or ) is a county in the U.S. state of New Jersey that is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the county was the state's eighth-most-populous county,

. Most of the eastern portion of the township is bordered by Upper Montclair (a neighborhood in Montclair).About The Township
Township of Cedar Grove. Accessed September 12, 2019.

Neighborhoods

The sections of Cedar Grove are: North End: The North End of Cedar Grove starts after the corner of Fairview Avenue and Pompton Avenue. It consists mostly of homes, but there are some businesses located on Pompton Avenue, and at the corner of E. Lindsley Road and Stevens Avenue. A notable part of the north end of town is the Park Ridge Estates, which contains million-dollar homes. Central Cedar Grove: This consists of the center of town and extends from the corner of Fairview Avenue and Pompton Avenue to the corner of Bradford Avenue and Pompton Avenue. The central portion of the town contains Cedar Grove's business district. Also, on the west central side of town is the former location of the Essex County Hospital Center, and on the east central side is the Cedar Grove Reservoir and Mills Reservation. South End: The south end of Cedar Grove is the most urbanized part of the township, as it contains homes that are closer together. The south end extends from the corner of Bradford Avenue and Pompton Avenue to the Verona border. There are mostly homes here, but there are some businesses on Pompton Avenue. Like the north end of town, the south end contains a section of million dollar homes. Cedar Grove's population density is less than the surrounding towns of Montclair, Verona, and Little Falls, mainly because significant portions of Cedar Grove are owned or previously owned by county or city governments. The Essex County Hospital Center took up a good amount of land and was owned by Essex County.

Mills Reservation Mills Reservation is a county park, consisting of a protected wooded area located in Cedar Grove and Montclair, New Jersey, United States. The reservation is maintained by the Essex County Park Commission. The reservation has several walkin ...

is a county-owned park, and the Cedar Grove Reservoir property is owned by the City of Newark.

Climate

Cedar Grove has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

, with warm/hot humid summers and cool/cold winters. The climate is slightly colder overall during the summer and winter than in

because the

urban heat island Urban areas usually experience the urban heat island (UHI) effect; that is, they are significantly warmer than surrounding rural areas. The temperature difference is usually larger at night than during the day, and is most apparent when winds ar ...

effect is not as prevalent. January tends to be the coldest month, with average high temperatures in the upper 30s and low 40s and lows in the lower to mid 20s. July is the warmest months with high temperatures in the mid 80s and lows in the mid 60s. From April to June and from September to early November, Cedar Grove enjoys temperatures from the lower 60s to upper 70s. Rainfall is plentiful, with around a year. Snowfall is common from mid January to early March and

nor'easter A nor'easter (also northeaster; see below) is a large-scale extratropical cyclone in the western North Atlantic Ocean. The name derives from the direction of the winds that blow from the northeast. Typically, such storms originate as a low ...

s can bring a lot of snow. In January 1996, Cedar Grove received record snowfall of about from the

Blizzard of 1996 The North American blizzard of 1996 was a severe nor'easter that paralyzed the United States East Coast with up to of wind-driven snow from January 6 to January 8, 1996. The City University of New York reported that the storm "dropped 20 inches ...

Demographics

2020 census

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 12,411 people, 4,523 households, and 3,216 families in the township. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 4,661 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 89.01% (11,047)

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 2.47% (306) Black or African American, 0.05% (6) Native American, 6.53% (811) Asian, 0.01% (1)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.85% (106) from other races, and 1.08% (134) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.86% (727) of the population. Of the 4,523 households, 29.7% had children under the age of 18; 59.5% were married couples living together; 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present and 28.9% were non-families. Of all households, 25.4% were made up of individuals and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.12. 20.2% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 21.6% from 25 to 44, 28.9% from 45 to 64, and 23.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46.8 years. For every 100 females, the population had 87.0 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 82.9 males. The Census Bureau's 2006–2010

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars)

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of und ...

was $95,152 (with a margin of error of +/− $4,156) and the median family income was $117,935 (+/− $15,917). Males had a median income of $81,330 (+/− $13,013) versus $51,525 (+/− $6,616) for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the borough was $46,514 (+/− $3,662). About none of families and 0.5% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 1.3% of those under age 18 and 1.3% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census there were 12,300 people, 4,403 households, and 3,240 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 4,470 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the township was 90.05%

, 2.99%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.05% Native American, 5.42% Asian, 0.02%

, 0.46% from other races, and 1.00% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 3.20% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Cedar Grove township, Essex County, New Jersey
,

. Accessed July 26, 2012.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Cedar Grove township, Essex County, New Jersey

. Accessed July 26, 2012. As of the 2000 Census, 29.7% of Cedar Grove's residents identified themselves as being of

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

ancestry (adjusted from the 34.8% reported to reflect the fact that residents reported multiple ancestries), the 18th highest of all municipalities in New Jersey. There was also a large Irish population, accounting for 21.7% of the population in the 2000 census, with another 12.1% of German ancestry. There were 4,403 households, out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.4% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.4% were non-families. 23.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.05. In the township the population was spread out, with 19.2% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 26.0% from 45 to 64, and 22.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.6 males. The median income for a household in the township was $78,863, and the median income for a family was $94,475. Males had a median income of $66,197 versus $40,582 for females. The

for the township was $36,558. About 1.1% of families and 2.0% of the population were below the

, including 0.8% of those under age 18 and 3.2% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Most of the commercial zone in Cedar Grove is located on Route 23. The central business district starts at about Sweetwood Drive and extends to Little Falls Road just after the railroad bridge. The township has an industrial district located along Commerce Road, which is off Route 23. In this district, there are light industrial factories and different types of commercial businesses.

Parks and recreation

Cedar Grove has several parks and recreational areas within the township. These include county parks, town parks, and recreational areas.

County parks

There are two county parks located in Cedar Grove. *

, a county park, consisting of a protected wooded area with trails for walking and an overlook of New York City. * Hilltop Reservation, composed of lands in the grounds of the former Essex Mountain Sanitorium, opened in spring 2003.

Parks

* Community Park – this park is located near the center of the town off Little Falls Road. It features a baseball field, a large field used for various sports, a barbecue area, two playgrounds, a bocce court, and entrances to the Lenape Trail, which provide an opportunity for running, walking, and biking. * Elmer Bowden Taylor Memorial Park – this park and its recreational facilities is located on Little Falls Road; near Bowden Road. It includes tennis courts, basketball court, small playground, and public bathroom. Named for Elmer Bowden Taylor, Cedar Grove resident killed in action in World War I while flying with the

Lafayette Flying Corps The Lafayette Flying Corps is a name given to the American volunteer pilots who flew in the French Air Force (Armée de l'Air) during World War I. It includes the pilots who flew with the bona fide Lafayette Escadrille squadron. Numbers The e ...

. * South End School Park, This park/playground is located on the grounds of South End Elementary School on Harper Terrace. Features include basketball courts, two baseball fields, and a playground. * North End School Park is nearly identical to South End School's park. * Cedar Grove High School, in the back of the high school, there is a quarter-mile track for running or walking. There is also a football field, soccer field, and baseball field.

Recreational areas

* Tennis courts are located along Little Falls Road, all for public use. * Cedar Grove Community Pool, a community pool which opened in 1963. It features a large pool with 50-meter lanes and 25-meter lanes, three diving boards (two small and a large one), and a water slide. Also, there is a baby pool for children under five. There is a snack bar for refreshments, sun decks for sunbathing, and basketball courts. The pool is open from the Saturday before Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Government

Local government

Cedar Grove operates within the Faulkner Act, formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, under Council-Manager plan B form of municipal government, as implemented as of July 1, 1955, based on the recommendations of a Charter Study Commission. The township is one of 42 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form of government. Cedar Grove's governing body is comprised of a five-member Township Council, whose members are elected

at-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather tha ...

for four-year terms by the voters of the municipality on a

non-partisan Nonpartisanship, also known as nonpartisanism, is a lack of affiliation with a political party and a lack of political bias. While an ''Oxford English Dictionary'' definition of ''partisan'' includes adherents of a party, cause, person, etc., ...

basis as part of the municipal elections held on the second Tuesday in May in odd-numbered years.''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'',

Rutgers University Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's C ...

Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 169. At a reorganization meeting held each July, the council selects a mayor and a deputy mayor from among its members to serve a one-year term of office. , members of the Township Council are Mayor Melissa Skabich (term on committee and as mayor ends June 30, 2025), Deputy Mayor Michele Mega (term on committee and as deputy mayor ends 2025; elected to serve an unexpired term), Joseph Maceri (2027), Kerry Peterson (2025) and John A. Zazzali (2027).Mayor and Council
Township of Cedar Grove. Accessed January 19, 2025. "Council members are elected at-large for four-year terms, by the voters of the municipality through a municipal election held the 2nd Tuesday in May, in odd number years."Essex County Directory

Essex County, New Jersey Essex County is located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of New Jersey, and is one of the centrally located counties in the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the county was the state's second-most populous county,< ...

. Accessed January 19, 2025.May 9, 2023 Municipal Election Unofficial Results

Clerk, May 18, 2023. Accessed June 1, 2023.Municipal Election May 11, 2021 Unofficial Results

, updated May 11, 2021. Accessed April 19, 2022. Michele Mega was elected to fill the council seat with a term expiring in June 2025 that had been held by Joseph Zichelli until he resigned from office to that the position as township manager. In July 2020, Joseph Zichelli was sworn into office to fill the balance of the term of office expiring in June 2021 that had been held by Robbie Vargo until he resigned from office the previous month. In November 2020, Zichelli was elected to serve the balance of the term through June 2021. Mayor Joseph Chiusolo resigned in June 2016 after serving 19 years in office in the wake of charges that he and his business had benefited from contracts with the township in which Chiusolo had a conflict of interest. As of July 2018, Joseph Cicala was chosen as mayor to succeed Peter Tanella, and Robbie Vargo as Deputy Mayor. In August 2015, the Township Council selected Michael Maffucci to fill the vacant seat of John Zunic expiring in December 2017, who left office to serve as a New Jersey Superior Court judge. In the May 2015 municipal election, incumbent Peter Tanella and challenger Harry Kumburis won election to four-year terms on the township council.2015 Non-Partisan Municipal Election May 12, 2015

Clerk, April 18, 2016. Accessed July 4, 2016.

Federal, state and county representation

Cedar Grove is located in the 11th Congressional DistrictPlan Components Report

New Jersey Redistricting Commission The New Jersey Redistricting Commission is a constitutional body of the government of New Jersey tasked with redrawing the state's Congressional election districts after each decade's census. Like Arizona, Idaho, Hawaii, Montana, and Washington ...

, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020. and is part of New Jersey's 40th state legislative district.Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District

New Jersey Department of State The secretary of state of New Jersey oversees the Department of State, which is one of the original state offices. The Secretary is responsible for overseeing New Jersey State Council on the Arts, artistic, cultural, and New Jersey Historical Com ...

. Accessed February 1, 2020.''2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
New Jersey

League of Women Voters The League of Women Voters (LWV) is a nonpartisan American nonprofit political organization. Founded in 1920, its ongoing major activities include Voter registration, registering voters, providing voter information, boosting voter turnout and adv ...

. Accessed October 30, 2019. Prior to the 2010 Census, Cedar Grove had been part of the , a change made by the

that took effect in January 2013, based on the results of the November 2012 general elections.''2011 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
, p. 55, New Jersey

. Accessed May 22, 2015.

Politics

As of March 2011, there were a total of 8,672 registered voters in Cedar Grove, of which 2,269 (26.2%) were registered as Democrats, 2,215 (25.5%) were registered as Republicans and 4,184 (48.2%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 4 voters registered as

Libertarians Libertarianism (from ; or from ) is a political philosophy that holds freedom, personal sovereignty, and liberty as primary values. Many libertarians believe that the concept of freedom is in accord with the Non-Aggression Principle, according ...

or Greens. In the 2012 presidential election, Republican

Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American businessman and retired politician. He served as a United States Senate, United States senator from Utah from 2019 to 2025 and as the 70th governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 ...

received 56.9% of the vote (3,541 cast), ahead of Democrat

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

with 42.1% (2,621 votes), and other candidates with 0.9% (58 votes), among the 6,271 ballots cast by the township's 8,965 registered voters (51 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 69.9%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American statesman and United States Navy, naval officer who represented the Arizona, state of Arizona in United States Congress, Congress for over 35 years, first as ...

received 59.2% of the vote (4,013 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 39.5% (2,680 votes) and other candidates with 0.6% (43 votes), among the 6,780 ballots cast by the township's 8,695 registered voters, for a turnout of 78.0%. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...

received 59.8% of the vote (3,817 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician, and diplomat who served as the 68th United States secretary of state from 2013 to 2017 in the Presidency of Barack Obama#Administration, administration of Barac ...

with 38.9% (2,479 votes) and other candidates with 0.8% (66 votes), among the 6,378 ballots cast by the township's 8,215 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 77.6. In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican

Chris Christie Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician and former United States Attorney, federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. A member of the Republican Party (United States) ...

received 67.1% of the vote (2,589 cast), ahead of Democrat

Barbara Buono Barbara A. Buono (born July 28, 1953) is an American politician who served in the New Jersey Senate from 2002 to 2014, where she represented the 18th Legislative District. She served from 2010 to 2012 as the Majority Leader in the Senate, succ ...

with 32.1% (1,238 votes), and other candidates with 0.9% (33 votes), among the 3,914 ballots cast by the township's 8,963 registered voters (54 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 43.7%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 58.3% of the vote (2,699 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat

Jon Corzine Jon Stevens Corzine ( ; born January 1, 1947) is an American financial executive and retired politician who served as a United States Senator from New Jersey from 2001 to 2006, and the 54th governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. Corzine ran f ...

with 32.9% (1,524 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 7.0% (323 votes) and other candidates with 1.0% (45 votes), among the 4,628 ballots cast by the township's 8,644 registered voters, yielding a 53.5% turnout.

Education

Public schools

The Cedar Grove Schools serve public school students from

pre-kindergarten Pre-kindergarten (also called pre-K or PK) is a voluntary classroom-based preschool program for children below the age of five in the United States, Canada, Turkey and Greece (when kindergarten starts). It may be delivered through a preschool ...

through

twelfth grade Twelfth Grade (also known as Grade 12, Senior Year, Standard 12, 12th Standard, 12th Class, or Class 12th or Class 12) is the twelfth and final Educational stage, year of Formal education, formal or compulsory education. It is typically the final ...

. As of the 2019–20 school year, the district, comprised of four schools, had an enrollment of 1,613 students and 148.2 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

student–teacher ratio The student–teacher ratio or student–faculty ratio refers to the number of students who attend a school or university divided by the number of teachers or staff in the institution. For example, a student–teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that ...

of 10.9:1.District information for Cedar Grove Township School District

National Center for Education Statistics The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the principal federal agency responsible for collecting, analyzing, and reporting data on education in the United States. Established under , it operates within the Institute of Education S ...

. Accessed April 1, 2021. Schools in the district (with 2019–20 enrollment data from the

) are North End Elementary School with 258 students in grades Pre-K–4, South End Elementary School with 327 students in grades Pre-K–4, Cedar Grove Memorial Middle School with 500 students in grades 5–8, and Cedar Grove High School with 496 students in grades 9–12. In September 2021, North End School was one of nine schools in New Jersey recognized by the

National Blue Ribbon Schools Program The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States Department of Education award program that recognizes exemplary public and non-public schools on a yearly basis. Using standards of excellence evidenced by student achievement measures, ...

Private schools

Washington Academy is an approved private school for special education. Founded in 1982, the Academy provides specialized academic and behavioral services to students whose disabilities disrupt their academic and behavioral growth and progress. It serves students ages 3–21 (Pre-K–12th Grade). Washington Academy is a member of the National Association of Private Special Education Centers (NAPSEC), a non-profit organization dedicated to serving the needs of private special education schools. The school is located in the former Leonard R. Parks Elementary School on Route 23. St. Catherine of Siena School, founded in 1958, is located on Bradford Avenue and operates under the supervision of the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark The Archdiocese of Newark () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction, or archdiocese, of the Catholic Church in northeastern New Jersey in the United States. The mother church of the archdiocese is the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Hea ...

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the township had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Essex County and by the

New Jersey Department of Transportation The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey, including maintaining and operating the state's highway and public road system, planning and developing transport ...

. Route 23 bisects Cedar Grove, making the township accessible via major highways including

Interstate 80 Interstate 80 (I-80) is an east–west transcontinental freeway that crosses the United States from San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey, in the New York metropolitan area. The highway was designated in 1956 as one of the ori ...

, Interstate 280, U.S. Route 46, Route 3, and the

Garden State Parkway The Garden State Parkway (GSP) is a Controlled-access highway, controlled-access toll road that stretches the north–south length of eastern New Jersey from the state's southernmost tip near Cape May, New Jersey, Cape May north to the New York ...

. Cedar Grove is also centrally located to New York City, Newark, Paterson, and Morristown.

Public transportation

Cedar Grove is served by

NJ Transit New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit or NJTransit and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey and portions of the states of New York and Pennsylvania. I ...

bus service. The 11 bus line provides service to Newark. The

195 Year 195 ( CXCV) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known in Rome as the Year of the Consulship of Scrapula and Clemens (or, less frequently, year 948 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 195 f ...

bus line provides transportation to the

Port Authority Bus Terminal The Port Authority Bus Terminal (colloquially known as the Port Authority and by its acronym PABT) is a bus station, bus terminal located in Manhattan in New York City. It is the busiest bus terminal in the world by volume of traffic, serving ab ...

. In September 2012, as part of budget cuts, NJ Transit suspended service to Newark on the 75 line. Commuter train stations are located in the neighboring communities of Little Falls and Montclair. The

Erie Railroad The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Northeastern United States, originally connecting Pavonia Terminal in Jersey City, New Jersey, with Lake Erie at Dunkirk, New York. The railroad expanded west to Chicago following its 1865 ...

's Caldwell Branch ran between Little Falls and West Caldwell, but trains were sparsely scheduled and the line was destroyed in the 1970s.

Local media

Newspapers

''The Verona-Cedar Grove Times'', a weekly newspaper that publishes every Thursday, serves Cedar Grove and Verona. ''The Cedar Grove Observer'', which publishes 50 weeks a year, serves Cedar Grove.

Internet

Local news is covered by the ''Cedar Grove Observer'' and the ''Verona-Cedar Grove Times''.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Cedar Grove include: *

Ralph L. Brinster Ralph Lawrence Brinster (born March 10, 1932) is an American geneticist, National Medal of Science laureate, and Richard King Mellon Professor of Reproductive Physiology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, School of V ...

(born 1932), genetic research pioneer and National Medal of Science recipient * Mark Burstein (born ), former president of

Lawrence University Lawrence University is a Private college, private liberal arts college and Music school, conservatory of music in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1847, its first classes were held on November 12, 1849. Lawrence was the second colle ...

* Jack Cafferty (born 1942), CNN commentator and host * Tommy DeVito,

quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...

for the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...

Bob Diaco Robert Albert Diaco (born February 19, 1973) is an American American football, football coach and a former linebacker. He is the defensive line coach for the North Carolina Tar Heels football, North Carolina Tar Heels of the Atlantic Coast Confer ...

(born 1973), head coach of the

UConn Huskies football The UConn Huskies football team is a college football team that represents the University of Connecticut in the sport of American football. The team competes in NCAA Division I FBS as an independent. Connecticut first fielded a team in 1896 and ...

team * Gary Dickinson (1938–2000), executive at

General Motors General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. The company is most known for owning and manufacturing f ...

Allen B. DuMont Allen Balcom DuMont, also spelled Du Mont, (January 29, 1901 – November 14, 1965) was an American electronics engineer, scientist and inventor who improved the cathode-ray tube in 1931 for use in television receivers. Seven years later he manu ...

(1901–1965), scientist and inventor best known for improvements to the

cathode-ray tube A cathode-ray tube (CRT) is a vacuum tube containing one or more electron guns, which emit electron beams that are manipulated to display images on a phosphorescent screen. The images may represent electrical waveforms on an oscilloscope, a ...

in 1931 for use in TV receivers, manufacture of the first commercially successful electronic TVs and founder of the first licensed TV network,

DuMont Television Network The DuMont Television Network (also the DuMont Network, DuMont Television, DuMont/Du Mont, or (incorrectly) Dumont ) was one of America's pioneer commercial television networks, rivaling NBC and CBS for the distinction of being first overall in ...

* Amanda Freitag (born 1972), celebrity chef * Eli Gottlieb (born 1956), novelist and author of '' The Boy Who Went Away'' *

Tommy James Tommy James (born Thomas Gregory Jackson; April 29, 1947) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. James is the frontman of the rock band Tommy James and the Shondells, which is known for hit singles such as "Mony Mony", ...

(born 1947), musician, singer/songwriter and record producer, best known as leader of the 1960s rock band

Tommy James and the Shondells Tommy James and the Shondells is an American rock band formed in Niles, Michigan, in 1964. The band has had two No. 1 singles in the U.S.: " Hanky Panky" (1966), the band's only RIAA Certified Gold record, and "Crimson and Clover" (1969). The ...

Ellen Kuras Ellen Kuras (born July 10, 1959) is an American cinematographer whose work includes narrative and documentary films, music videos and commercials in both the studio and independent worlds. One of few female members of the American Society of Cin ...

(born 1959),

cinematographer The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the recording of a film, television production, music video or other live-action piece. The cinematographer is the chief of the camera ...

whose body of work includes

narrative A narrative, story, or tale is any account of a series of related events or experiences, whether non-fictional (memoir, biography, news report, documentary, travel literature, travelogue, etc.) or fictional (fairy tale, fable, legend, thriller ...

and

documentary A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

music videos A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...

and

commercials A television advertisement (also called a commercial, spot, break, advert, or ad) is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization. It conveys a message promoting, and aiming to market, a product, service or idea. ...

* Jonathan Lebed (born 1984), huckster who used internet technology to hype stocks *

Amanda Lepore Amanda Lepore is an American transgender model, singer, and performance artist. A former Club Kids, Club Kid, she has appeared in advertising for numerous companies. Lepore is noted as a regular subject in photographer David LaChapelle's work, s ...

(born 1967), transgender performance artist and entertainer who has received attention for her modeling, fashion, partying, and business skills *

Marty Liquori Martin William Liquori (born September 11, 1949) is a retired American Middle distance track event, middle distance Athletics (sport), athlete. Liquori rose to fame when he became the List of high school students who have run a four minute mile, ...

(born 1949), competed in the

1968 Summer Olympics The 1968 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad () and officially branded as Mexico 1968 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 12 to 27 October 1968, in Mexico City, Mexico. These were the first Ol ...

in Track and Field. Ranked #5 on the ''

Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...

'' list of ''The 50 Greatest New Jersey Sports Figures'' * Tom Lutz (born 1953), writer and literary critic who is founder and editor-in-chief of the ''

Los Angeles Review of Books The ''Los Angeles Review of Books'' (''LARB'' is a literary review magazine covering the national and international book scenes. A preview version launched on Tumblr in April 2011, and the official website followed one year later in April 201 ...

'' * C. Edward McVaney (born 1940), co-founder of

JD Edwards J.D. Edwards World Solution Company or JD Edwards, abbreviated JDE, was an enterprise resource planning (ERP) software company, whose namesake ERP system is still sold under ownership by Oracle Corporation. JDE's products included ''World'' for ...

* Michael P. Moran (1944–2004), actor and playwright * David Njoku (born 1996),

tight end The tight end (TE) is an offense (sports), offensive position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football. It is a hybrid that combines the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a receiver (football), receiv ...

drafted 29th in the first round of the

2017 NFL draft The 2017 NFL draft was the 82nd annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. It was held in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art on April 27–29, returning to Philadelphia f ...

by the

Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...

* Kevin J. O'Toole (born 1964), chair of the

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, (PANYNJ; stylized, in logo since 2020, as Port Authority NY NJ) is a joint venture between the U.S. states of New York (state), New York and New Jersey, established in 1921 through an interstate c ...

who had served in the

New Jersey Senate The New Jersey Senate is the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. There are 40 legislative districts, representing districts with an average population of 232,225 (2020 figure ...

and three years as mayor of Cedar Grove * Todd Pettengill (born 1966), former co-host to the

WPLJ WPLJ (95.5 FM) is a non-commercial, listener-supported radio station, licensed to New York, New York. Owned by the Educational Media Foundation (EMF), based in Franklin, Tennessee, it broadcasts EMF's Christian adult contemporary formatted p ...

morning show "the Big Show" *

Emilie Poulsson Anne Emilie Poulsson (September 8, 1853 – March 18, 1939) was an American children's author and campaigner for early childhood education and the kindergarten movement. Poulsson was born in Cedar Grove, New Jersey. She was the daughter of Halvo ...

(1853–1939), children's author and campaigner for

early childhood education Early childhood education (ECE), also known as nursery education, is a branch of Education sciences, education theory that relates to the teaching of children (formally and informally) from birth up to the age of eight. Traditionally, this is ...

Aaron Rodgers Aaron Charles Rodgers (born December 2, 1983) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the California Golden Bears foo ...

(born 1983),

* Ron San Fillipo (1942–2024),

athletic director An athletic director (commonly "athletics director" or "AD") is an administrator at many American clubs or institutions, such as colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches a ...

and athletics coach * C. Robert Sarcone (1925–2020), politician who served in both houses of the

* Michael Uslan (born 1951), originator and Executive Producer of the

Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...

movies and the first professor to teach "Comic Book Folklore" at an accredited university * Arthur Wynne (1862–1945), inventor of the

crossword puzzle A crossword (or crossword puzzle) is a word game consisting of a grid of black and white squares, into which solvers enter words or phrases ("entries") crossing each other horizontally ("across") and vertically ("down") according to a set of cl ...

Romeo, Lisa
"Clue: Where Crossword Creator Lived. Ten Letters. Answer: Cedar Grove: A local journalist invented the modern crossword puzzle 97 years ago this week."
, Verona-Cedar Grove Patch.com, December 21, 2010. Accessed April 8, 2011. "It's the humble – and wonderful -- crossword puzzle. And it was invented by a Cedar Grove resident."

References

External links

Cedar Grove website

Cedar Grove Schools website
*
School Data for the Cedar Grove Schools

Official website of the Cedar Grove Alumni Assoc.
{{Authority control 1892 establishments in New Jersey Faulkner Act (council–manager) Populated places established in 1892 Townships in New Jersey Townships in Essex County, New Jersey